Designing the Perfect Start to the 2013 Iron Bowl for Auburn

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY SportsWill the Tigers be able to pull off the upset?

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It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish…unless you’re the No. 4 Auburn Tigers facing the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS).

In this case, how Auburn begins the game will go a long way in determining how it finishes.

From the minute the Alabama team bus pulls up to Jordan-Hare stadium, head coach Nick Saban and his players will be greeted by a hostile environment. Noise will be at a peak, the jeers will be at their wittiest and the confidence of an upset will be at its highest.

It’s vital that the Tigers maintain that intensity throughout the stadium for as long as they can.

In the last 31 games, spanning back to 2010, only Texas A&M (twice) has managed to score on the opening drive against the Tide. The Aggies won one of those games on Nov. 20 of last year, 29-24, and lost the other earlier this season, 49-42.

But in both cases, an early lead—20-0 and 14-0 respectively—allowed Texas A&M to hang around until the final whistle.

That’s a strategy that Auburn will have to adopt on Saturday.

Thus far, the Tigers have scored on their opening drives seven times this year. The team is 7-0 in those games.

Not only will putting up points quickly get the fans even louder, but it also puts more pressure on Alabama to respond.

2. Force Turnovers and Capitalize with Points

During the Aggies’ victory over the Tide last season, the team followed up its opening-drive touchdown by picking off quarterback AJ McCarron in Alabama territory. From there, Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel made quick work, finding the end zone in four plays for a 14-0 lead.

Auburn can learn a lot from the Aggies' upset win over Alabama in 2012.

Entering Week 14, McCarron has shown vulnerabilities on the road. In four games away from home, the senior has thrown three interceptions and only completed 58.0 percent of his passes for a passer rating of 145.0.

In comparison, he’s thrown just two picks and completed 76.6 percent of his throws for a rating of 180.3 in seven contests inside the friendly confines of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

That’s music to the ears of a Tigers defense that has recorded 12 interceptions on the season and forced a turnover in eight consecutive games and in all but one this season.